India's oppressed communities burn Manusmriti annually to challenge racism and bigotry.
With one voice, India's religious minorities, Dalits, Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and others challenged the Hindu nationalist government's plan to impose Brahmanical hegemony stipulated in the Hindu scripture, Manusmirti, in the name of a uniform civil code.
The leaders who met in Delhi pledged to oppose the conspiracy of the Hindu fascist group trained Modi regime after unitedly rejecting the idea.
It would divide India and violate the fundamental rights as stipulated in Indian Constitution, they all asserted.
The life and customs of every Indian are sacred, and the government has no right to meddle in the affairs of citizens protected by the Constitution, they contended.
Some of the groups attending the meeting were: All India Backwards and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF), Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi, Confederation of Dalit and Tribals Organisations, All India Ravidasiya Dharam Sangathan, National Conference for Minorities, Sikh Personal Law Board, Federation of Catholic Associations of Archdiocese of Delhi, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Sikh Talmail group, Committee For Protection of Religious & Cultural Diversities and prominent social activists. They issued a statement afterward stating that the government should not interfere in various communities' traditions, customs, and religions.
It said the Indian government intends to 'scrap reservation in the garb of equality. The meeting also resolved to prevent any desecration of religious books and places of worship and protect churches, mosques, gurdwaras, and other sacred sites. It also said, "We will uphold the federal and plural structure of our country, and our secular and democratic character is respected and protected by the government, political parties, and all the citizens of the country," added the resolution.
"We take the pledge that we shall strive to ensure peace, safety and security, justice, and dignified life for every citizen of the country. We shall strive to end all forms of injustice, discrimination, and harassment," it added.
The meeting urged the government to take practical steps to ensure peace in the northeast region without compromising the rights of the tribal groups.
Naba Saraniya, Assam MP; Ashok Bharti, President of Confederation of Dalit and Tribals Organisations; R. Sukhdev Waghmare, Head, All India Ravidasiya Dharam Sangathan; Rahul Dambale, National Conference of Minorities; Prof. Jagmohan Singh, Convener, Sikh Personal Law Board; Syed Sadatullah Husaini, Vice President, All India Muslim Personal Law Board; Waman Meshram, President, All India Backwards and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF), Md. Fazlur Raheem Mujaddidi, General Secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board; A.C. Michael, President, Federation of Catholic Associations of Archdiocese of Delhi; Sardar Daljit Singh, Talmail group Amritsar; Dr Adv. MP Raju, Rajender Pal Gautam, MLA, Delhi Ml Ahmad Faisal Rahmani, Ameer e Shariat, Sister Adv. Mary Scaria, Eng. Mohd Saleem, Naib Ameer Jamat-e-Islami Hind; Adv. P.I. Jose Kamal Faruqui, Executive Member AIMPLB; Fahad Rahmani, Director Rahmani Foundation; and Dr. S.Q.R. Ilyas, Convener Committee For Protection of Religious & Cultural Diversities, participated in the meeting.
India's minorities make up 20 percent of the population. Dalits are about 25 percent, Tribal groups are about 9 percent, and Brahmans are about 4 percent of the people. The RSS, a Hindu militant organization with a network of financiers and supporters worldwide, is keen to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra with Manusamirti as the Constitution. It has promoted hatred against religious minorities and incited mobs, especially against Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Muslims, and Dalits. The parade of naked women and gang rape of two Christian Kuki women in Manipur by Hindutva thugs offer visuals of the bigotry against minorities. Religious minority leaders believe that Manipur is the lab for introducing Manusmrti.
What Manusmriti says? Read from the law book of Hindus that the BJP and RSS want to implement in the name of UCC.
I – 91. The lord prescribed only one occupation to the Shudra to serve meekly, even these other three castes.
I – 93. As the Brāhmaṇa sprang from (Prajapati's, i.e., God's) mouth, as he was firstborn and possessed the Veda, he is the lord of this whole creation.
II – 31. Let (the first part of ) a Brahmin's (denote) something auspicious, a Kshatriya's name be connected with power and a Vaishya's with wealth, but a Shudra's (express something) contemptible.
II-32. (The second part of) a brahmin's (name) shall be (a word) implying happiness, a Kshatriya's (word) implying protection, a Vaishya's (a term) expressive of thriving, and a shudra's (an expression) denoting service.
II – 100. Whatever exists in the world is the property of the Brāhmaṇa; on account of the excellence of his origin, the Brāhmaṇa deserves it all.
Regarding the study of Vedas by Shudras:
IV – 99. The twice-born must never read (the Vedas —– in the presence of the Shudras.
VIII – 37. When a learned Brahmin has found treasure deposited in former (times), he may take even the whole (of it); for he is the master of everything.
VIII – 270. A Shudra who insults a twice-born man with gross invective shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin.
VIII – 271. If he mentions names and castes of the (twice-born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers, shall be thrust red-hot into his mouth.
VIII – 410. The king should order each man of the mercantile class to practice trade, money lending, agriculture, and attendance on cattle and each man of the servile class to serve the twice-born.
About the status of women:
IX – 3. Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence.
IX – 18. Women have no business with the text of the Veda.
IX – 189. The king must never take the property of a Brāhmaṇa; that is a settled rule, but (the property of men) of other castes, the king may take on the failure of all (heirs).
IX – 317. A Brahmin, whether learned or ignorant, is a powerful divinity.
X – 121. If a Shudra (unable to subsist by serving a Brāhmaṇa) seeks a livelihood, he may do Kshatriyas or desire to maintain himself by attending a wealthy Vaishya.
X – 122. But let a Shudra serve Brahmans, either for heaven's sake or with a view to this life and the text, for he who is called the servant of a Brāhmaṇa thereby gains all his ends.
X – 123. The service of the Brāhmaṇa alone is considered an excellent occupation for a Shudra; whatever else he may perform will bear no fruit.
Dealing with the question of wages to the Shudras:
X – 124. They must allot to him (Shudra) out of their family property suitable maintenance after considering his ability, his industry, and the number of those he is bound to support.
X – 125. The remnants of their food must be given to him, their old clothes, the refuge of their grain, and their old household furniture.
X – 129. No collection of wealth must be made by a Shudra even though he can do it; for a shudra who has acquired wealth gives pain to Brāhmaṇa.
XI – 6. According to one's ability, one should give wealth to Brāhmaṇa, learned in the Veda and living alone; (thus) one obtains heavenly bliss after death.
XI – 261-62. A Brāhmaṇa who has killed even the peoples of the three worlds is no more a sinner on reciting three times the Rig, Yajur, or Sama- Veda with the Upanishads.
Successors of Manu made the disability of the Shudra in the matter of study of Veda into an offense involving dire penalties.
XII. 4. If the Shudra intentionally listens for committing to memory the Veda, then his ears should be filled with (molten) lead and lac; if he utters the Veda, then his tongue should be cut off; if he has mastered the Veda, his body should be cut to pieces.
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